Apparatus for stacking bricks in preparation for strapping

ABSTRACT

Bricks are continuously received in double-layer courses, which courses are shifted one at a time onto a receiving plate whereupon a gripper apparatus is activated to grip the opposite sides of the course and retain the course as the receiving plate is removed from beneath the course. A platform is elevated to engage or cause the bricks already deposited thereon to engage the lower surface of the course being held by the gripper apparatus whereupon the gripper apparatus is deactivated. The elevator lowers and the receiving plate is returned to its initial position. During selected course transfers a tyne tray apparatus cooperates with the gripper apparatus to form tyne openings in selected layers. The gripping apparatus itself includes a first set of longer outer gripper plates which are adapted to grip entire courses at times and a plurality of shorter, inner grippers which cooperate with the outer gripper plates or with other inner grippers to grip partial courses after the tyne bricks have been removed.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 469,649 filed May 14, 1974and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,756 issued Dec. 9, 1975.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In processing bricks through brick plants, up until recent years, afterfired brick were removed from the kiln, kiln cars were unloaded by handand formed into stacks of desired configurations. Within the lastseveral years stacking apparatuses have been developed whereby bricksproceeding along a conveyor in single or double layers have been formedinto stacks ten or more courses high, with a strap encircling thecourses to form a brick package.

Examples of these previous stackers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.2,933,207; 3,392,851; 3,471,836; and 3,738,514.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a unique and improved approach tothe problem of receiving bricks in double-layer courses and forming suchcourses into brick stacks of a proper size for strapping. In addition,the apparatus is adapted to form the tyne openings necessary to permithandling of the finished packages by a fork-lift truck.

In this regard, bricks previously arranged on the conveyor or conveyancein a plurality of double-layer courses, each layer having a prescribednumber of bricks in each row and column, are transferred into thestacking apparatus by means of a pusher mechanism of conventionaldesign. The stacking apparatus includes first of all a gripper headwhich grips the side of each course and maintains the course in positionwhile the receiving plate thereunder is moved away and an elevatorhaving a stacking platform attached to the top thereof which is raisedto a point where either the platform or the top layer of brick on theplatform contacts the bottom of the gripped brick course. At this time,the trippers of the gripper apparatus are released, whereupon theelevator lowers the stacked bricks below the level of the receivingplate, and the receiving plate returns to the elevator in preparationfor receiving the next course.

In order to form tyne voids in the brick package, one layer of brickresting on the brick stack is gripped by the gripper head at aprescribed time and raised to a position above the elevator. A movableframe including a tyne removal plate means is inserted beneath thegripper head. The head is then lowered until the aforementioned layercontacts the tyne plate, whereupon the grippers are released allowingthe void or tyne brick to at least temporarily drop through openings inthe tyne plate. The gripping apparatus then re-grips the brick layer bymeans of internal expanding grippers and returns them to the elevator inproper sequence to form the tyne void.

Since the brick to be stacked onto the elevator are initially pushed tothe same point with no further movement relative to each other, thecompleted brick stacks do not have the sawtooth or uneven row effectnormally achieved by known conventional methods of forming the stack.The present invention also effects the stacking and tyne course buildingwith the same apparatus, thereby reducing system complexity and cost.

The void or tyne brick forming apparatus itself includes a uniqueslotted plate selectively movable beneath the gripper head to removeselected brick of selected layers. Such previous known methods asillustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,785 could be rendered inoperative bybroken or distorted brick; however, such brick do not effect theoperation of the present system.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simplerand more reliable method and apparatus for stacking bricks inpreparation for the strapping operation.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a brickstacking apparatus which eliminates sawtooth or uneven edges in thefinal package.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a brickstacking apparatus which performs the tyne building and stackingoperations at the stacker, thus resulting in a machine of lesscomplexity and greater liability without a decrease in output.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon studying thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention, and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a mechanical schematic illustrating the basic construction andoperation of the stacker apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view with parts broken away, illustrating theapparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of the tyne building apparatus with partsbroken away for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the gripper apparatus;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the gripper apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial elevation view of the end gripper apparatusillustrated in FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 7a-h are operational schematic views illustrating sequentially themethod of the present invention.

Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shownschematically the basic concept of the present invention which includesfirst of all a gripping apparatus 10, and elevator means 12, and areceiving plate 14 when it is in position above elevator means 12 and asecond position removed and preferably spaced upwardly therefrom.Receiving plate 14 is reciprocal in a horizontal plane back and forthbetween a first position intermediate said gripping apparatus and saidelevator and a second position removed horizontally from said firstposition allowing free cooperation between bricks held by the grippingapparatus 10 and the elevator means 12. Bricks are placed on saidreceiving plate 14 a course at a time with each course including aplurality of rows of bricks stacked two layers high. It should berecognized that the apparatus may also be used with courses which areone layer high or more than two layers high; however, for purposes ofillustration and since two layer courses are conventional, the inventionis illustrated and described with a preferred embodiment having courseswith two layers therein.

The courses are initially grouped in some manner which is not pertinentto the present invention and proceed along a conveyance 16 a course at atime until the end of the conveyance is reached. A pusher means thentransfers the bricks a course at a time from the conveyance 16 onto thereceiving plate 14.

The other basic feature of the apparatus is the tyne building means 18which is movable back and forth between a first position beneath thegripper means 10 and a second position removed therefrom. In the firstposition, the tyne building means 18 receives a predetermined singlelayer of bricks from the gripping means and presents back to thegripping means the same layer of bricks minus the bricks which have beenremoved by the tyne building means to form the tyne openings in thepredetermined same layer.

Turning now to the specifics of the preferred embodiment, a stationaryframework 20 supports the moving parts of the system. The receivingplate 14 is mounted for horizontal movement back and forth across areceiving portion of the framework on a level with conveyance 16 andincludes a plurality of support rollers 22 rotatably mounted thereto andreceived within side channel members 24 which form said receivingportion of frame 20. A hydraulic or air cylinder 26 is secured to astationary member, either the framework or some other stationaryelement, while the piston thereof is mechanically connected to thereceiving plate 14, so that the receiving plate is caused to reciprocatebetween second position in response to the activation and deactivationof the cylinder 26.

Conveyance 16 terminates adjacent framework 20 so that bricks may beslid from the end of conveyance 16 across a transition plate 17 onto thereceiving plate 14 when it is in its receiving position. It should berecognized that the receiving position of receiving plate 14 may beeither removed from its first position intermediate the gripper meansand the elevator (illustrated in FIG. 2) or the receiving means mayreceive bricks from the conveyance while in its intermediate position,and then merely moved to its removed position after the gripper meansgrips and supports the course of bricks in preparation for depositingthem on the elevator means. In any event, conveyance 16 comprises a slatconveyor or other similar type conveyor which receives bricks in doublelayer courses along the length of the conveyor to the end thereof,whereupon a pusher mechanism 30 is activated to transfer a course ofbricks longitudinally or transversely from the conveyance 16 onto thereceiving plate 14. For convenience the transfer may move the bricksacross a transition plate 32.

The pushing mechanism 30 includes a frame 34 which supports a dependingpusher plate 36 and has attached thereto a first cylinder and pistonassembly 38 which moves the bricks from the conveyance onto thereceiving plate and a second vertically oriented piston and cylinder 40which lifts the pusher plate 36 in preparation for returning it back toits initial position and cleaning the next course of bricks which hasbeen moved onto the end of conveyance 16 in the meantime. The conveyance16 and pusher mechanism 30 are shown by way of illustration only and donot form a part of the present invention. It should further be notedthat conveyance 16 could be positioned perpendicular to the positionshown in FIG. 2 so that the bricks are moved onto the end of theconveyance and then transferred transversely onto the receiving plate,rather than longitudinally as illustrated in the preferred embodiment.

The elevator means 12 illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises an upper plate 42attached to the upper end of the piston 44 of a preferably hydrauliccylinder 46 which is mounted at or near the base of frame 20. Sosituated, the upper plate 42 of the elevator means 12 is verticallyreciprocal between a lowermost position and any of several upperpositions depending on how many courses of bricks are stacked thereonduring any one cycle thereof, as will be explained more fullyhereinafter.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 through 6, the gripper means 10 is illustrated,and first of all is attached to a vertically mounted support means 49including an upright frame 51 having assembly 50 suspended from an upperframework above the original framework 20. The rod of the piston andcylinder assembly 50 is secured at its lower end to the gripper means 10in some conventional fashion. For example, a mounting plate 100 issecured to the rod of cylinder 50 and all of the elements of the grippermeans 10 10 are mounted either directly or indirectly to said mountingplate 100.

The gripper means comprises in general a pair of longer outer gripperplates 102, 104 which are mechanically joined to and depend fromopposite edges of mounting plate 100, although they are not in physicalengagement therewith. A first inner gripper member 106, which issubstantially shorter than the outer gripper member 102 is arranged tocooperate therewith for gripping a first plurality of brickstherebetween under certain conditions to be hereinafter described. Asecond short, inner gripper 108 similarly cooperates with the secondlonger outer gripper member 104 to grip a second plurality of brickstherebetween. Two other short, inner gripper members 110, 112 cooperatewith each other to grip and support even a third plurality of brickstherebetween under certain conditions to be hereinafter explained.

A plurality of air cylinders 114, 138, 140, 142, 144, 146, 148, and 150are secured to the top of plate 100 in the arrangement shown in FIG. 4.The mechanism which connects air cylinder 114 to its associated gripperblade 110 will be discussed in detail as illustrative of the samestructural connection between the other air cylinders and theirrespective gripper blades. The piston 116 of air cylinder 114 isattached to a bearing block 118 which is secured between two upwardlyextending flanges 120, 122 of a connector plates 128, 128¹. Flanges 120,122 extend through slots 121 and 123 respectively of plate 100. A pin124 extends through flanges 120, 122 and through bearing block 118, andthe pin is retained therein by means of a cotter 126. Flanges 120 and122 form a yoke which extends through the openings 121 and 123 in plate100. Gripper plate 110 is welded or otherwise attached to the lower edgeof connector plate 128 so that as air cylinder 114 is activated, gripperplate 110 is moved back and forth. To facilitate the movement ofconnector plate 128 and gripper plate 110, roller bearings 130, 132 arerotatably connected between track 134 which is suspended from mountingplate 100 by means of spacers 135. Additionally, stationary bearings 136are mounted to the underside of the bearing track 134 to insure a properlinear traverse back and forth of the gripper plate and associated yoke.

In a similar manner, air cylinder 138 is attached to the other side ofgripper plate 110 and cooperates with air cylinder 114 to provide asmooth and even traverse of gripper plate 110. Similarly, air cylinders144, 146 are connected to gripper plate 106 for activation thereof; aircylinders 140 and 142 are connected to gripper plate 122 for activationthereof; and air cylinders 148, 150 are attached to gripper plate 108for activation thereof. The mechanical connection between these latterair cylinders and their associated gripper plates are substantially thesame as that for air cylinders 114 and 110 and will not be explainedfurther.

Turning now to a description of the activating mechanism for endgrippers 102, 104, first of all whereas the inner gripper activatingmechanism described hereinabove is pneumatic and mounted mostly atopmounting plate 100, the outer gripper activating mechanism is hydraulicand suspended from the underside of plate 100. A pair of side mountingplates 152, 154 are welded or otherwise secured to the underside ofmounting plate 100 extending across the length thereof. A cylindermounting plate 156 is secured to and extends between the two sidemounting plates 152, 154 for the purpose of mounting the cylinder end ofhydraulic cylinders 158, 160, 162, and 164. A pair of inturned flangesor plates 166, 168 form tracks for a framework 170 from which end plate102 depends.

Framework 170 includes two side bars 172, 174 with a connecting plate176 therebetween. A pair of wheels or bearings 178, 180 are rotatablymounted to each of side bars 172, 174 and ride on tracks 166, 168 tomove framework 170 back and forth. Eng gripper 102 is suspended from theouter end of side bars 172, 174 by means of struts 184, 186. A secondconnecting plate 182 extends between struts 184, 186 and is attached tothe free end of the piston of cylinder assemblies 158, 160 and therebyconnect the cylinders with framework 170 for activation thereof.

The tyne building apparatus 18 is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 andincludes an elevated framework 200 which is elevated above the mainframe 20 by means of legs 202, 204, 206, 208. Framework 200 supports thehoist or cylinder for the gripping apparatus 10 described hereinabove aswell as for the tyne building apparatus 18.

A pair of struts 210, 212 include rollers 214 which ride on inturnedflanges 201 of the side members 203, 205 of framework 200 and supportthe struts which hang down therefrom. A connecting bar 216 connects theupper ends of struts 210, 212 and is attached to the free end of thepiston of a hydraulic cylinder 218 thereby providing the activationnecessary for reciprocating the tyne building apparatus.

The tyne openings themselves are formed by a slotted tyne tray 220 whichis secured at one end to struts 210, 212 whereby the tray extendshorizontally beneath the gripping apparatus 10 when in the operativeposition. As best seen in FIG. 3, the slots 222, 224 are so situated inthe surface of the tray 220 that when the gripper apparatus releases alayer of bricks onto the tyne tray 220, the bricks to be removed fallthrough the openings and onto a catch tray 221 from which they may benormally removed. Then as illustrated in FIG. 7d the selected layer isin position on the slotted tray to be picked up by the inner grippers106, 108, 110 and 112 as well as outer grippers 102, 104 as will bedescribed hereinafter. Instead of a catch tray, an auxiliary plate (notshown) could be biased upwardly against the bottom of tyne tray 220 bysprings, a counterweight, or the like. As the gripper head lowers, afterthe bricks are released onto tray 220, the outer grippers would engageabutments on the sides of the auxiliary plate, thus lowering it alongwith the tyne brick. After the inner grippers 106, 108, 110, 112 areactivated and the head 10 is raised, the tyne brick return to theoriginal position atop the tyne tray 220 from whence they are removed.In this way the brick are not dropped.

Note that inner grippers 106-112 enter the slots in tray 220 when thegripper apparatus 10 is lowered. Also when activated, the grippersengage the remaining bricks before they engage the edges of the traysurrounding slots 222, 224, which must be wider than accumulateddimensions of brick therebetween to be dropped through these slots toprevent a jam-up of the system. The inner grippers 106, 108, 110 and 120are preferably of such a length that they engage the brick at a pointabove the surface of the tyne tray 220. Also, the tyne tray 220 must beof a total width less than the distance between outer grippers 102, 104.

After completion of a stack on elevator means 12, a pusher plate 250 isactivated by another hydraulic cylinder assembly 252 to transfer theentire stack from the elevator plate 42 into a portable barrow 254 fromwhence the stack moves on to a strapping apparatus (not shown).

Turning now to the operation of the equipment, as best illustrated inthe schematic representation shown in FIGS. 7a-h, courses of brick asdescribed hereinabove proceed down conveyance 16 until they reach theend adjacent the stacking apparatus. Pusher mechanism 30 then transfersthe bricks, a course at a time onto recieving plate 14 which isinitially in the receiving position. As described hereinabove, thereceiving position may be either removed from between the gripper member10 and elevator 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 or may beintermediate thereof. If the receiving plate 14 is already intermediatethe gripper 10 and elevator 12, the gripping sequence beginsimmediately; if not, the receiving plate is moved to the intermediateposition.

The gripper apparatus 10 is then lowered and grips the bricks byapplying pressure against the largest side (stretchers) and thussupports the course of bricks while the receiving plate is moved away toits other position thereby providing an open path between elevator plate42 and the underneath surface of the gripped brick course.

At this time the bricks are then suspended in mid-air above the elevatorapparatus, which is activated to bring either upper plate 42 thereof orthe upper level of bricks supported thereon into engagement with thelower surface of the course of bricks being supported by the gripperapparatus 10. Some type of conventional feeler mechanism or sensingswitch indicates when the contact has been made between the upper plate42 or bricks on the elevator and the lower surface of the course beingheld by the gripper apparatus. The elevator is stopped and the outergripper members 102, 104 are released to deposit the course of brickspreviously held thereby onto the elevator apparatus. The elevator thenlowers until the upper surface of the course of bricks which was justdeposited thereon is entirely below the level of the receiving plate 14,whereupon the sequence begins again and continues until a stack iscomplete.

When a stack of bricks, conventionally ten layers, is completed a pistonand cylinder assembly 252 having a pusher plate 250 attached thereto isactivated to move the stack of bricks horizontally from its position onthe elevator plate into a barrow 254 which is positioned adjacent to theelevator apparatus 12. The barrow then transfers the bricks over to thestrapping apparatus; however, this operation is not a part of thepresent invention and will not be described further.

Turning now to FIGS. 7a-h, the sequential operation of the tyne buildingwill be described. First of all, during the initial set up of theapparatus for a run of bricks, a first layer is deposited on theelevator plate 42 so that as successive layer courses are deposited, thetop layer of each course forms an odd numbered layer in the stack asillustrated in FIG. 7a for reasons to be made evident hereinafter.

Beginning the description of the completion of one stack as shown inFIG. 7a, a tenth and eleventh layer are deposited on receiving plate 14.The outer grippers 102, 104 are activated in the normal procedures asthe receiving plate is removed, whereupon layers 10 and 11 are depositedon the previously formed stack. The gripping apparatus is raised to apoint level with the eleventh course only, whereupon the outer grippers102, 104 grip only the eleventh course and lift it as illustrated inFIG. 7b. In FIG. 7c the elevator has lowered for the push out operationas described hereinabove, and the tyne plate 220 and catch tray 221 aremoved horizontally to their operative position beneath the gripperapparatus 10. The gripper head 10 places the eleventh layer onto thetyne plate 220 and the outer gripers 102, 104 are released, whereuponthe tyne brick drop through the openings in the tyne plate 220 onto thecatch tray 221.

The gripper apparatus 10 is then lowered so that the bricks remaining onthe tyne plate are positioned between the outer grippers 102, 104 andthe inner grippers 106, 108, 110, and 112 as illustrated in FIG. 7d. Theinterior grippers 106, 108, 110, 112 are then activated to grip andsupport the tyne course against outer grippers 102, 104 in the upperpart of the gripping apparatus 10 (FIG. 7e), and the tyne plate 220 andcatch tray 221 are returned to their normal position out from beneaththe gripper head. In the meantime, another push off has occurred ontoreceiving plate 14 as illustrated in FIG. 7f and the gripper head lowerswhat was previously the eleventh layer onto the first and second layerto form the third layer. The interior grippers are then released, andthe outer grippers are activated to grip all three courses asillustrated in FIG. 7g. When the receiving plate 14 has been removed andthe courses deposited on the elevator apparatus 12, a conventionalseparator board is inserted above the third layer, and the stackingresumes as hereinbefore described.

As an alternate possibility of building the tyne layers, rather than agripper head with outer grippers and inner grippers which all grip alongthe stretches, the gripper head could have outer grippers which gripalong the stretchers and shorter inner grippers which grip along theheaders, in which case there would be a pair of grippers for each row oftyne brick to be removed. Again, the eleventh row would be grippedbetween the outer grippers 102, 104 while the elevator was lowered forpush out. The eleventh layer would again become the tyne course, andwhen the first and second courses had been pushed onto the receivingplate 14, the former eleventh layer which is now the third layer wouldbe deposited thereon. The gripper apparatus would be lowered until thesmaller end grippers could grip the rows of tyne brick to be removed,whereupon the gripper apparatus would be elevated and the tyne brickremoved and placed on an auxillary plate which would be moved intoposition beneath the gripper head for this special purpose. After theseparator board was placed on top of the third layer, stacking wouldresume as described hereinabove.

Although a preferred embodiment has been illustrated and described, itis apparent that various changes and modifications might be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, which is set out and to bedetermined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for gripping, supporting, and lifting aplurality of layers of fired bricks, at least the uppermost layerthereof having voids or openings therein, said apparatus comprising:a. asupport means; b. a mounting means supported by said support means forreciprocal vertical movement; c. a pair of spaced outer gripper memberssuspended from said mounting means for said lateral reciprocal movementtoward and away from each other for holding an entire layer of bricksbetween corresponding lower portions thereof when moved toward eachother; d. a plurality of at least four inner gripper members dependingfrom said mounting means in spaced, parallel relationship between saidouter gripper members, said inner gripper members being laterallyreciprocally movable between a first normal position and a secondgripping position, the length of said outer gripper members exceedingthe length of said inner gripper members by at least the height of abrick layer; e. first and second ones of said inner gripper membersbeing the outermost of said inner grippers and moved in a directiontoward the outer gripper members when moved from said first to saidsecond position to hold some selected bricks of the uppermost layertherebetween; f. third and fourth ones of said inner gripper membersbeing the innermost of said inner grippers and moved in a directiontoward each other when moved to said second position to hold otherselected bricks of the uppermost layer therebetween.
 2. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein said support means includes a stationaryupright frame having a piston and cylinder assembly mounted thereto,said mounting means being attached to the free end of the piston of saidpiston and cylinder assembly.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 andfurther comprising a first plurality of piston and cylinder assemblies,each assembly having one end thereof stationarily mounted to saidmounting means and the other end thereof connected to one of said outergrippers, and a second plurality of piston and cylinder assemblies, eachof said second assemblies having one end thereof stationarily mounted tosaid mounting means and the other end thereof connected to one of saidinner grippers.